Advertisement

Identity of hunter who shot sleeping lion revealed as 64-year-old trophy hunter from Illinois

<em>The man who shot and killed a sleeping lion has been named (Facebook)</em>
The man who shot and killed a sleeping lion has been named (Facebook)

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

The man who shot and killed a sleeping lion in a shocking video that went viral has been unmasked.

Guy Gorney, a 64-year-old trophy hunter from Manhattan, Illinois, is the man wielding the weapon in the footage that has shocked the world, according to the Daily Mail.

The disturbing video, that was reportedly filmed in Zimbabwe in 2011, shows a defenceless lion sleeping as Gorney lines up the kill.

As shots are fired, the lion growls in shock and pain, confused as to what has just happened – before he is shot twice more and killed.

A gamekeeper is then seen congratulating Gorney on his kill, telling him that he has just killed “a very nice lion”.

Read more on Yahoo News UK:
Helpful mouse filmed tidying up pensioner’s garden shed for weeks
Woman investigated after ‘misgendering’ a transgender child on Twitter
Theresa May seeks to delay Brexit until June 30

He further congratulates Gorney, shaking his hand on the kill.

The video was condemned after it went viral on Twitter:

Gorney’s love for hunting – which is not illegal – has previously been well documented.

In 2015 he told CBS that he had no remorse for his list of 70 kills – that included an elephant, rhino and leopard.

He told them: “I have a hard time understanding, if you have a picture of somebody with a deer, nobody seems to care.

<em>Video footage shows Guy Gorney sneaking up on the defenceless animal (Twitter/@Protect_Wildlife)</em>
Video footage shows Guy Gorney sneaking up on the defenceless animal (Twitter/@Protect_Wildlife)

“But if it’s an elephant, it’s a big problem. If it’s a lion – especially now – it’s a huge problem.

“But to me, either way, I’ve stopped a beating heart.”

Arguing that his hunting can be called conservation, he added: “You can say, why’d you shoot a lion?

<em>Gorney has previously showed no remorse for his hunting hobby (Twitter/@Protect_Wildlife)</em>
Gorney has previously showed no remorse for his hunting hobby (Twitter/@Protect_Wildlife)

“I love zebra, so shooting a lion probably saves 70 zebra a year, give or take. There’s all these kinds of balances in nature.”

Yahoo News UK has contacted Gorney for a comment.